


A Hogwarts Carol

by SSDSnape



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A Christmas Carol retelling, Gen, Ghost of James Potter, Harry equals Tiny Tim, Hogwarts Era, Lily equals Marley’s Ghost/Ghost of Past/Present/Future, Past Abuse, Snape has Scrooge persona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21847015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SSDSnape/pseuds/SSDSnape
Summary: Lily was dead to begin with... Snape must look into the past, present and future to hopefully be a better person and to help a long dead friend.
Relationships: Severitus - Severus Snape & Harry Potter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	1. Lily was Dead to Begin With...

“...nnhm company!” Snape mumbled with a scowl, as he turned and headed towards his dungeon chambers. It was Christmas Eve and Snape couldn’t face the great hall full of cheerful staff, a drunken half giant and the few students remaining over the holiday period - one of them being James Potter’s ungrateful spawn Harry Potter.  
When he got to his chambers’ door he glanced at the serpent knocker briefly only to step back with a gasp of “Lily!”  
It had for just a second morphed into someone long dead. Then he blinked and it was normal again. He shook his head, opened the door and went inside. 

Once inside his rooms he removed his cloak and loosened a few of the many buttons on his robes, the top three at his neck and the one at each wrist. Snape then summoned an elf and had a glass of firewhiskey brought to him. He banked up the fire and sat down on the well worn black leather sofa and took a book from one of the many shelves lining his walls and began to read. When the clock on the mantle above the fire chimed eleven o’clock he bookmarked his place in Dickens, closed the book and put it on the side table next to his empty glass. Snape yawned and glanced up at the portrait of Lily Evans he had had commissioned years back. It was unmoving and framed by black curtains. He stared up at her with a look of longing in his dark eyes, before turning away and walking across the room and into his bedroom. He undressed and got into his nightshirt and then into bed. 

_“Severus!”_ A soft voice whispered quickly, jolting the man awake.  
“Lily!”  
Snape sat up and looked around. The room was dark and silent. He looked at his bedside clock and it said midnight. He groaned. He’d only been asleep for three quarters of an hour. Just then he heard his mantle clock in the living room begin to chime twelve. However the chime never reached twelve strikes, it stopped at six. Odd that.  
Snape frowned. The clock was magical, meaning it never stopped or broke. Then he felt it. A chill ran down his spine, and he was almost sure he felt a slight burn on his old mostly faded tattoo. The door to his bedroom creaked and a grey-like mist of cloudy smoke appeared to seep in under it. What was going on?!  
He watched at the cloud of grey smoke grew up from the floor at the foot of his bed and slowly morphed into the ghost of his long dead best friend and unrequited love. Lily Evans.  
“I’m dreaming!” He gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at the pale but beautiful even in death ghostly figure at the end of his bed, whilst desperately clutching his duvet up to his chin. “I must be dreaming!”  
“Severus, you work in a magical school full of ghosts. You’re not dreaming.” Lily spoke with a slight echo to her soft gentle voice. 

“W-Why are you here? If I was going to be haunted I would’ve thought Potter might be the one giving me grief - surely he would have a few chains to rattle.”  
“James indeed has a chain of life to settle with you, however he is busy elsewhere tonight. Visiting Azkaban and then on to the Weasley’s residents to spook the life out of a rat with a missing toe.”  
“Pettigrew is alive?!” He gasped, relinquishing his tight hold on his bedcovers. “How can that be? Black...”  
“Sirius wasn’t our secret keeper,” Lily replied. “Peter was.”  
“Fuck!”  
“Indeed. Dumbledore knew of course, however he wanted Harry and knew that if Sirius were to get guardianship of my son, then he wouldn’t have his new weapon to mould.” 

Snape shook his head it was too much to think about.  
“Again, why are you here?” He asked.  
“I am here to help you see that Harry needs someone strong and able to let him just be him in his life.”  
“Pardon?” Snape replied. “You want me to take guardianship of Potter’s ungrateful, pompous, and arrogant arsed spawn? NO!”  
“SEVERUS SNAPE YOU WILL COME WITH ME AND I WILL SHOW YOU SOMETHING YOUR BIASED AND HATEFUL MIND HAS DECIDED TO OVERLOOK, EVEN THOUGH THE SIGNS ARE AS PLAIN AS THE CROOKED NOSE ON YOUR FACE!” Lily bellowed, her voice echoing around his bedroom and shaking the man in bed to the core. Lily had never raised her voice to him even when she was alive. She was much much worse than Molly Weasley’s howlers could ever be. 

“W-Where are you t-taking me?” He asked positively shaking.  
“Only out to your living room.” Lily went on with her gentle tone. “You have some memories to look at.”  
“Memories? Who’s?”  
“A few of yours and all of Harry’s.”  
“Why?”  
“You need to change your ways, Sev. And for the better. If you don’t, you’ll die a lonely, bitter old man. Still mourning my death... Come now.”  
Severus Snape shook his head a little before pulling back the duvet, got out of bed, put on his slippers and forest green dressing gown and followed Lily’s ghost into his darkened living room - lit only by the soft dying glow of the embers in the fireplace.


	2. Looking into the Past...

Lily snapped her pale fingers and Hogwarts provided by popping into existence a pensieve already filled with the selected memories.  
“Come on Severus.”  
Together they leant forward and fell into the shallow basin.  
As soon as they reached the floor of the pensieve, the first of many of Severus childhood memories started to play in front of them. 

Severus didn’t want to be here looking at his past, and tried to step back but lily grabbed his left arm and held in still.  
“You have no choice Sev, you much watch.”  
Severus sighed and turned back to face his horrendous childhood. The early years were relatively normal and loving, but then when he was four and his father had lost his job at the factory in Cokesworth he took up drinking full time unable to get work. 

Severus and his mother Eileen had to practice potion making in secret, when Tobias Snape was either out almighty at the pub, for once the man was passed out from the drink. The physical abuse to the both of them was hard to deal with, it was made harder when Severus aged seven asked and pleaded for his mum (like he had done often before, when she helped patch him up) to leave the man - only for Eileen to turn on her beloved son and slapped him. Severus of the present flinched at that memory. That was the day see finally snapped out her reason for not leaving. She believed in marriage ‘till death do us part’. She was old fashioned and was not about to leave her husband. She had told her son that day that they had to live with it.

On his birthdays Severus got presents in the form of magic books and potions books from his mum, however from his father a beating was the gift of choice. It was the same for Christmas too. He looked away from those scenes unable to look, but he couldn’t avoid listening to his past screams and pleads for it to stop.  
Severus of today smiled at the memory of his shining light in life. When he met and befriended Lily Evans. She didn’t care that Severus didn’t have much, Lily enjoyed life, and taught Severus how to enjoy it too - even with the darkness of his home life. She was his light in the dark. 

Then came Hogwarts, Potter and Black. The death of his father and mother, and entering a darker path. The last memory was over hearing the prophecy before all went dark. 

“Now you shall see the similarities with Harry’s past, Severus.” Lily spoke softly, as the last of his childhood faded out only to be replaced with... 

_..a flash of neon green light... a high harsh cackle of manic laughter and Lily falling to her death, on the fall beside baby Harry’s cot... Little Harry sit in the cot looking up at Voldemort wide eyed, then the wand pointed and more green light rushing toward him..._

_..crying with blood trickling down his face, then a sound and looking up and finding a much younger version of Severus run into the room, take in the scene, seeing Lily and hurrying over, falling to the ground and hinging the cold body of the redhead, whilst ignoring the bawling baby in the cot..._

Severus of the present could not believe that Harry Potter could remember this night, but what he had just seen was damning enough proof that the boy did. 

_..then came a glimpse of Harry Potter wrapped up tight and in the big burly arm of a giant of a man flying over Bristol on a motorbike..._

_..the next memory was of Harry waking up on a cold doorstep and the thin horse-face of Petunia Dursley tanking open the door and looking down at the baby in disgust. Seeing the letter she bent down and picked it up, opened it and read it..._

_..next baby Harry was being literally thrown into the cupboard under the stairs, where he hit the back wall and bawled..._

Let’s just say that Severus had a hard time watching those early memories of Harry Potter’s baby/toddler years and not losing the contents of his stomach. Even Lily’s pale ghostly form had turned a paler shade of grey. And she was dead. 

_..Freak was five and cooking breakfast whilst standing on a foot stool, he had burn marks on his hands and arms. Vernon Dursley sat at the dining table behind his newspaper and the son was seated next to him, his piggy eyes scowling at his cousin over at the hob..._

Severus watched as the years went by and so did the abuse that the raven haired boy took as though it was the natural thing in the world. The birthdays and Christmases were void of love, affection and gifts. All the money that Dumbledore sent to these _people_ for Harry Potter’s care and wellbeing and it was going on the Dursley’s life style and their son’s birthdays and Christmas presents. 

Yes, he didn’t have a good and healthy childhood either, not with his alcoholic and abusive father, but at least he got one or two gifts on his birthdays and at Christmas. Severus shook his head. He wondered if he could take anymore of the Potter boy’s memories. He glanced at Lily and saw the slight nod of her ghostly head. Sighing Severus turned back to watch the few remaining (he hoped) memories. It also explained why the boy was so thin looking being denied food. 

Finally it was over. Severus watched as ten long years Harry Potter grew up as a servant to his muggle relatives, never anything for his birthdays nor Christmas. And being emotionally and physically abused all those years. Severus couldn’t fathom the boy not even knowing his own name until he started primary school. As the last memory ended with Hagrid coming and taking him to London to by his school supplies, he felt the pull of the pensieve allowing them out, Severus understood what Lily had meant by his and Harry’s childhood were similar. 

Once they were back in his living room Lily looked at her friend and noticed that he look thoughtful, with just a tiny glimmer in his dark eyes of something other than haunted... pain, hurt and sadness.


	3. Looking at the Present...

“He's wearing a glamour. But how?” Severus asked aloud - more to himself that his companion, though she did answer him.  
“Accidental magic, Sev. Harry was always very good at doing it.”  
He nodded.  
“We have to continue on, Severus, and little time to do it.” Lily said, as she clicked her pale ghostly fingers and out of nowhere appeared in her hand a ghost time-turner. “This is Death’s own time-turner it allows you to travel both forward and back in time. Death pre-set it for my use, allowing us to travel to two specific times. One being the Present Day and the other, your Future.”  
Lily placed the long chain around both herself and Severus, then turned the dial to spin.  
Looking around the room Severus watched as his sight blurred as though he was being fast forwarded - which of course they were.  
Once all was stopped he looked about, as Lily removed the chain.  
“Welcome to Christmas Present. Come, let’s go and see what this day has in store for Harry.” 

They exited the living room and made their way along the dungeon corridor, and up the shallow steps leading to the entrance hall. There were a few stragglers making their way to the great hall for breakfast. The two of the entered the hall and found that all four long tables had disappeared as usual, and a smaller - but large enough circular one to seat the staff and few students remaining had replaced them. Severus took note that all who were staying at Hogwarts over the Christmas period were here bar one. Harry was not.  
“Is Mr Potter alright, Miss Clair?” McGonagall asked during breakfast.  
Miss Clair the Gryffindor Prefect nodded.  
“Yes, professor. Harry is fine as far as I could tell, he said that he wasn’t feeling like breakfast. I asked if he was feeling under the weather, and he replied with that he wasn’t sure - but that I’d he felt worse he would go and see Madam Pomfrey.” 

Nodding, McGonagall was satisfied and continued eating her breakfast.  
“Come along, Sev.” Lily said. “Looks like it’s a trip the the Gryffindor common room.”  
Up in the Gryffindor tower Lily and Severus appeared and it was like a bomb site. There was wrapping paper everywhere. It did nothing to help with the brightness of the red and gold decor. However it didn’t last long, for a house elf popped into the room and snapped away the mess. Just before it popped out again, it did a double take at the unknown female ghost and her companion. Paused in wonderment and shock, the elf knew enough archaic magic to know that something was happening... and for the better. It bowed to Lily before popping back out. 

Severus was puzzled and was about to ask when lily smiled and replied.  
“House elves know a lot more old magic than we give them credit for. Misty was able to see us because of that knowledge. If fact all house elves can see us. They’re the only magical beings who can. As well as Death.  
Severus shook his head and they looked around. Harry wasn’t there. So they went up to the dorms. There the two found the scrawny and very thin boy sitting on his bed not doing a thing, he simply sat there.  
Severus took note that there were no presents. He was surprised. He would’ve thought that Granger and Weasley would’ve given him something. 

“Ron Weasley is not as friendly as he makes out Severus. If fact he can’t stand Harry, simply for the fact that Harry has money. Hermione Granger was never his friend, she just helps out with homework on occasion.”  
Severus couldn’t believe it.  
“Does Harry simply shut himself away on this day?”  
“Yes.” Lily replied. “No one will see him for the rest of the day, they will assume that he went to see Madam Pomfrey, without actually finding out it he did or not. It happened last year.” 

“How much longer do we have to stay?”  
“Not much longer.”  
Severus nodded and after a few more minutes they faded out.


	4. Looking into the Future...

They left the dorms and Gryffindor tower and in the seventh floor corridor Lily took the time-turner and, after placing the chain around them both again she spun the dial forward once again.  
Hogwarts Christmas five years into the future everything was the same except with one difference. Harry Potter was not there. Together Severus and Lily searched through the castle and nothing. And no-one seemed to be talking about him. It was odd. 

In fact looking around Severus noted that the castle looked decided darker - much darker on the inside.  
“Hogwarts’ in mourning.” Lily said.  
“How do?”  
“That’s what I have to show you.”  
They made their way out of the castle and on to the grounds before the two faded out, only to appear in a snow covered graveyard.  
“Godric’s Hollow?”  
Lily nodded.  
They made their way through the graves until stopping at the large monument to the Potters. However, it wasn’t their grave that Lily was gazing at. Severus look from her to where she was looking. There next to the monument was a simple stone slab lying flat, face upward. A two foot high metal railed fence surrounded it and the the large monument next to it.  
Severus stepped over the railing, knelt down and wiped away the snow covering only to see Harry’s name, aged sixteen written on it.  
“How?” He asked stunned.  
“The Dursley’s went too far.”  
“Didn’t Dumbledore do anything? Madam Pomfrey?” 

“No one cared about Harry, Severus. The only thing anyone cared about was bringing Harry back to the magical world. But once he was here... Dumbledore thought that Harry was going dark, simply for keeping himself to himself. He had no friends. Although he did have someone helping him with patching him up after returning each year from the Dursley’s. Misty the house elf was his only friend of sorts. She helped where she could. She was the one who took Harry’s body when he died and at his request brought him here and buried him alongside James and me. She comes here every Sunday and puts down fresh flowers on both our graves. She’s the only one who does.” 

Severus couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to. But he couldn’t look away from the headstone that simple read: _’Here lies Harry James Potter - The Boy Who Lived... for Nothing - at piece with his family’._  
“Harry came up with that.” Lily smiled sadly. “As a final fuck you to everyone.”  
Severus would’ve laughed, but he couldn’t. He did give Lily a sad smile though.  
“Come, Sev. It’s time to return.” 

And with that he and Lily faded out, only to appear in the Hogwarts again this time students were passing them by and talking loudly.  
“Why should we care if he died. No one liked him. I hope he doesn’t come back as a ghost! Can you just imagine it? Having that overgrown bat swooping around, scowling at you forevermore! No thanks!”  
“I’m surprised that Dumbledore isn’t even concerned about the man. He always acted like he liked Snape.” Said his friend.  
“Oh, please! The man was Death Eater. Dumbledore should never have allowed the thing into the school. I can understand now why the ferret, Malfoy always complained that Hogwarts was crap. But I always thought he at least like the man.”  
“Yeah right. Draco couldn’t stand him.” Replied a Slytherin seventh year.”  
“Time to go Severus.” Lily said and she guided her shaken up friend out of the castle again, where they faded out and reappeared in another graveyard. Which Severus recognised as Cokeworth cemetery. 

They stopped at a faded tombstone. Again it was simple - like Harry’s.  
Severus sighed, knowing what he would find. He knelt down and wiped away the snow.  
_’Here lies Severus Tobias Snape - he died alone, unloved and bitter’._  
“I understand, I think.” He said as he got up.  
“I thought you would.” Lily murmured. “It’s time to return home Severus. My time is up.”  
He nodded... 

When they returned to Hogwarts and Severus’ chambers, a truly shaken Severus got back into bed and Lily leant down and kissed her friend.  
“The Dark Lord’s dead isn’t he?” Severus asked, as he pulled his duvet up to his chin and looked up at Lily with dead-looking dark eyes.  
Lily smiled.  
“Harry destroyed him that Halloween night. Only dumbledore believes that he will return. That man will realise with time that not all prophecies are true. And when it’s his time to pass, he will again see what his manipulations cost others.”  
“Will my mark ever disappear completely?”  
“I think, that you might get your wish on that at a later date. For now... When you wake up in the morning, time will have reset itself. I hope you’ve learned a lot this night Sev, and that you do what you know is right, rather than what is easy. Goodbye by friend.”  
And with that Lily faded out of existence and Severus rolled over and fell back to sleep.


	5. Christmas Present(s)

Severus woke up on Christmas Day, got dressed and made his way out of his rooms, when he got to the entrance hall he stopped a passing Hufflepuff fourth year and asked her what day it was. Wide eyed, the girl stared a moment before replied that it was Christmas Day.  
“Is it? So I haven’t missed it. She did it all during the night.” He chuckled and rubbed his hands together, smiling.  
The fourth year Hufflepuff was scared. No one had ever seen Snape smile before and to her she was spooked.  
“A-Are y-you al-right, p-professor?” She asked with a stutter.  
“Alright? Am I alright?” He replied. “Oh indeed I am, Miss Harlem. On you go now. And a very merry Christmas to you.”  
With that he turned and almost bounced his way out of the main doors and on to the snow covered grounds. Laughing.  
Miss Harlem stared some more at the place the Potions Master had just been, shook her head and whispered, ‘Mad’, before continuing on into the great hall for breakfast. 

It was whilst he was outside that he wondered how best to confront Harry. He wasn’t sure what to do. Every idea he had didn’t seem to work. In the end he decided to go with a soft version of blunt force.  
Severus made his way back into the castle and up to Gryffindor tower. After giving the master password, he entered the common room. There was no one there, the other three Gryffindor students were out on the grounds. Severus made his way up to Harry’s dorm and after knocking, entered.  
He found the boy sitting on his four poster bed, staring out of the window.  
He cleaner his throat. Harry turned and did a double take when he saw who it was.  
“May I sit down?” Severus asked, softly.  
“Uh...” Harry replied, making Severus raise an amused brow. “Yes, sir.”  
Severus sat down on the left side on the bed.  
“That’s an interesting bit of magic you’ve got going there, Mr Potter.”  
“Wha—“ 

Severus raised his hand and Harry faltered.  
“It’s not easy you, living in an abusive household.” Severus went on, and Harry’s eyes went big. “The body can only take so much, before it’s too late... to stop it.”  
“I’m not being ab-“  
“The signs are there to see, if you know what to look for.” Severus said, still in the same soft tone. “Someone who has been abused themselves can usually see someone else who is going through it.”  
“You? But you’re so...”  
“Strong?” Harry nodded. “It may seem hard to believe but I was abused psychically when I was growing up. Your mother was my friend and she helped patch me up sometimes. It was I that told her she was magical.” 

Harry was surprised. No one would tell him about his parents. Only that he looked a lot like his dad, but for his eyes - they were his mum’s.  
“Did you know her sister?”  
“Petunia? Yes I knew her. She was back then a stuck up, horse-faced, nosey tell-tale.” Harry smiled. “She was very jealous of Lily, even more so when she was magical and her not.”  
“She hasn’t changed.” Harry said.  
“Can you tell me about it?” Severus asked.  
“What do you want to know?”  
“All of it.”  
“It’ll take a while.”  
“I have time. Would you prefer to tell me here? Or would you like to come down with me to my rooms?” 

Harry agreed to go with Snape, he felt that he could trust the man. He had never lied to him, he knew that much.  
Once they were in Severus’ rooms Harry looked around the room before taking a seat and asked.  
“How come you don’t have any decorations up, sir?”  
“I stopped believing in the spirit of Christmas a long time ago.” Severus replied. Harry nodded. He had wondered what was the point of Christmas for the last few years.  
They both sat down on the old and worn leather sofa, and after a moment Harry began to tell his professor about his home life.  
“I’m sorry.” Severus said after a pause, when Harry had finished.  
“Why?” Harry asked puzzled. “It’s not your fault.”  
“No, it’s not. But, Harry... if there’s one thing that you would like for Christmas, what would it be?” Severus asked, knowing the answer. 

“I would like to live with a loving family. Who treat each other nicely. No more abuse. No matter if they’re magics or not.”  
“If I can do it, would you like to... come and live with me?”  
Severus held his breath.  
“Is that even possible?”  
Severus nodded.  
“Well, you’ve never lied to me. And you’ve proved that you can be something other than a complete bastard.”  
Again with the amused raised eyebrow. But this time Severus cracked a smile too. His dark eyes twinkling.  
“First I will need to see and photograph all the bruises you have hidden under that glammer charm. Then I will fix what I can, but I swear to you that I will do what I can to get you out of your aunt and uncle’s house. I promise you that. And I never break my promises.”  
Harry stilled at hearing that his glammer would have to come down, but as he stared into his professor’s eye, all he could see was the truth of his words and a faint glimmer of hope. 

**\- HC -**

After letting Harry sleep on his sofa and summoning Misty the house elf to his rooms to keep an eye on the boy, Severus left and headed up to Minerva’s rooms taking the photographic evidence with him. When he got there and Minerva invited him in, he took a break and asked.  
“Minerva, how do I go about a snap adopting of a minor child?”  
“Who were you thinking of adopting, Severus?”  
“Harry Potter. I have discovered that he is being abused by his so called relatives, and that Dumbledore has known all this time, but has done nothing about it.” Severus replied.  
Minerva was shocked! She remembers telling that old fool that they were the worst sort of muggles!  
“Leave it with me, Severus. Even though it’s Christmas Day I should have news for you in the afternoon.”  
“Thank you. Happy Christmas, Minerva.”  
“And to you, Severus.”  
As soon as Seveus left her office Minerva floo’d Amelia Bones and together they sorted a everything out. And Albus Dumbledore would never know. 

**\- HC -**

In the late afternoon someone knocked on his door and found Minerva on the threshold. She came in smiling, her sharp eyes glinting.  
“Do you have a pensieve, Severus?”  
“Misty?” Severus called.  
“Master Severus wants Misty?” The elf asked popping into the room.  
“Yes. Can you please bring me my pensieve?”  
Nodding, Misty snapped her fingers and the shallow basin appeared.  
Once she had extracted her memory and placed it in the bowl, both professors proceeded into it. 

Minerva and Severus watched as herself and Amelia Bones visited the Dursley’s - nicely interrupting and spoiling their Christmas lunch, Severus chuckled. They showed the evidence Severus had photographed, and said that if she didn’t sign over her rights to Harry right now, the might of the Ministry would come down on them. Petunia signed her rights to Harry over to Minerva who then signed them over to Severus there and then and left the shocked family behind, after saying that the money would now stop too. The nice dark red hue Mr Walrus Senior’s face was hilarious.  
The memory ended and the two professors exited the basin and Minerva handed Severus the documents to sign. Once done, Minerva told him that they would be sealed and that even from Dumbledore would simply believe that Harry was still living with the muggles. Only the post would be redirected back to Hogwarts.  
“I knew you had a heart Severus.” Minerva smiled. “I hope you and Harry both get the life you want. Be happy. You boys deserve that.” 

**\- HC -**

For what was left of the rest of the day, Severus and Harry spent together in the dungeon abode. It was here that Severus handed Harry a roll of parchment.  
“Happy Christmas, Harry.”  
Nonplussed, Harry took the parchment unfurled it and read. He stared and the words adopted by Severus Snape and felt the beginning of tears.  
“...” he mumbled.  
“I’ll take that as, ‘thank you’.” Severus smiled and drew the boy into a gentle hug. Harry nodded into his chest.  
“But I didn’t get you anything.” Harry said standing back and wiping his eyes.  
“I got you out of it, Harry. A son is enough for me.” 

Harry smiled and looked away, his eyes fell on a book on the side table.  
He looked at the cover.  
“Have you ever read it?” Severus asked, following Harry’s line of sight.  
“No. Is it any good?”  
“Oh yes.”  
“Can you read it to me?”  
“I think I can manage that.” Severus smiles, and together they sat down of the sofa in front of the glowing fire and with the soft ticking and chime of his mantle cock, Harry cuddled up to Severus’ side as the man opened the book and began to read aloud.

**\- HC -**

For the next five christmases and unknown to both Severus and Harry, there has always been an unseen visitor with one remaining chain of life wrapped around his ghostly figure in their rooms on Christmas Day, never interfering, never speaking, never making himself known, just simply watching.


	6. Epilogue: The Ghost of James Potter

Ten years had passed and both Severus and his adopted son Harry Potter-Snape couldn’t be more happy. They spent the next five years living at Hogwarts, however as soon as Harry graduated father, son and his girlfriend left. Never to return. Much to Dumbledore consternation. He eventually did find out about Severus and Harry, but only when it was too late.   
Together they pulled their resources and bought a house in the country, just outside of Godric’s Hollow. It was easier on keeping up their yearly tradition of visiting James and Lily’s grave every Christmas. Misty went with them of course. She had become rather attached to Harry and then to Severus. 

At seventeen, Harry had straight out of school married his girlfriend Luna Lovegood. A year later they had announced that they were expecting. The young couple had had a healthy baby boy whom they called Severus. Or Sevvy. 

Sevvy was now four years old and together with their recent addition of baby Lily, Severus was a very proud father, father-in-law and grandfather.   
The house was decked out in simple Christmas decorations as it was every years, both Severus and Harry weren’t the excessive decorating types. Simple and pleasant they were. Of course there was a large tree, that Misty had charmed with an everlasting charm. Real fairies lit it and danced around it. The presents were there too underneath. Never too many, just enough. Harry went a bit far with the presents ever since Sevvy was born - no one blamed him, even Severus had begun buying a few more than usual too. 

Christmas morning and little Sevvy was up and had opened the presents at the end of his bed, now he wanted to be with his favourite and Grandpa and hurried out in his pj’s from his room and across the landing, into Seveus’ room.   
“Wake up Grandpa Sev! It’s Christmas Day!” He said loudly, As he took a running jumped and landed on the poor man.   
“...!” Severus replies as he shot up in bed.   
“Grandpa said a bad word.” Sevvy gasped.   
“Which you will not repeat, understood.” Came the trying-to-be-grumpy older man, but was in fact fighting a smile.   
“Uh-huh.” 

“Come on,” Severus went on, as he lifted the boy off himself and got out of bed and put on his dressing gown and slippers. “I’m sure that your mum and dad will be up already seeing to Lily.”   
With that they returned to Sevvy’s room so he could also put on his dressing gown and slippers, then headed to the bathroom to brush their teeth before making their way down stairs.   
Harry was indeed up already, as they walked into the kitchen he was helping Misty with breakfast.   
“Merry Christmas dad, Sevvy!” He said as he put a freshly made cafetière of strong dark roast coffee down on the table.   
“Happy Christmas, daddy and Misty!” Sevvy replied happily as he made his way over to his chair. Severus hugged his son and kissed his temple, wishing both son and elf a happy Christmas as he too sat down opposite his grandson.   
A few minutes later Luna came in with Lily in her arms.   
Together the small family sat down and ate breakfast - Misty included. 

Once breakfast was finished everyone went to the living room and ransacked the gifts under the tree. Well, Sevvy did. Severus, Harry and Luna simply sat down and summoned theirs. Misty had gotten a present from each of them too and she for them.   
After present opening Harry and Luna sat by the blazing fire and cuddled with Lily, whilst Grandpa and grandson ventured out into the snow covered garden, bundled up in warm clothes and started building a snowman.   
What no one noticed was that they had a recurring visitor. And he was here again today, hidden, but plainly visible to those who looked for him. 

This person made his silent way over to the window and looked out at the older man having the time of his life with his young grandson as they built their snowman, though there was a slight pause in the activity when Severus stood still, with his long greying haired head cocked to one side. Then he turned around and looked directly at the window. He couldn’t see the visitor looking back at him, all Severus saw was his son and wife coming over their daughter. He smiled, until he was hit in the back by a ball of snow. The visitor watched with a slight smile (it could’ve been a smirk) as Severus stood ramrod straight before, slowly removing his wand from up his sleeve and turned back to the laughing four year old behind him.   
The person watching saw the little boy run, still laughing, trying to dodge the bombardment of conjured snowballs - none never actually hitting their target but it was still fun, until Severus caught the boy and dropped snow down the back of Sevvy’s coat. It was all good. 

**\- HC -**

Later in the early evening, Severus was in the library perusing his and Harry’s shelves for the book that he reads every Christmas Day night to Sevvy. He was sure it was in here. But it wasn’t amongst the other works by the same author. Strange.   
Then he heard it, the sound of chains rattling. He felt a chill run up his spine.   
“Looking for this?” Said a voice he thought he would never have to hear again.   
Severus spun round and stared. There, standing not five feet from him in all his pale grey and transparent ghostly form was James Potter. He was holding up the book Severus was looking for.   
“What are you doing here?” Severus asked surprised. 

James Potter smirked and took a step forward, making his chain of life rattle.   
“Do you remember all those years ago on that fateful Christmas Eve night Lily coming to visit you?”   
“Well, yes. How could I forget.” Severus stated. “Although, later on I did wonder if it was a mere dream.”   
“What makes you think that dreams can’t be real?” James replied. “That night was real Snape. As real as I am here facing you. I have been tied to life all this time. In fact I have been a constant visitor in your rooms when you and Harry were at Hogwarts, and then when you both moved here, I followed. Every year at Christmas, I was there and here watching.” 

“Why?”   
“Just before you fell back to sleep that night, once you had finished looking at the past, present and future, you asked Lily if your mark would ever disappear completely.”   
Severus sat down in an armchair and thought back. He did remember asking Lily that question.   
“She said, ‘I think, that you might get your wish on that at a later date’.”   
“Well, I am the later date.” James replied. “Thank you, for looking after my son and giving him a home and someone to call dad. And for loving him as he should’ve been loved.” 

James leant down, raised Severus’ left sleeve and laid his ghostly hand upon the very faded dark mark. Severus watched as the old mark faded into unblemished pale skin.   
With this act of kindness done, James stood up and his last remaining life chain broke and faded away from his ghostly figure. Smiling big and bright, James thanked Severus again and faded out of existence free to finally join Lily.   
Severus stared down at his unmarked arm, lightly stroking over the area with the tip of his right index finger, remembering what Lily had said that night all those years ago regarding his dark mark. He shook his head. Silently thanking both Lily and James. 

Just then the door opened and Sevvy came in stopping next to him.   
“Come on Grandpa Sev! We want to hear the story.”   
“Alright, I’m coming.” Severus replied with a bright smile of his own, as he stood up, lowered his sleeve and, with the book in hand, together he and his grandson left the library and returned to the living room.   
Once they were seated and comfortably so, Grandpa Severus sitting on the sofa nearer the fire, with little Sevvy cuddled up at his side whilst over on the other sofa facing them with the coffee table in between them sat his son, Luna and baby Lily.   
Still smiling, Severus opened the book that he had read to Harry every Christmas since that day almost eleven years ago. And was now a tradition in their house every year.   
_”Marley was dead to begin with...”_


End file.
